Saudi 2034: Saudi Arabia Chooses Its Stadiums for the Next FIFA World Cup

After Qatar 2022, the Arabian Peninsula is once again at the center of the football world with the recent awarding of the 2034 FIFA World Cup to Saudi Arabia. This will be the first extra-large World Cup, featuring 48 national teams hosted in a single country and a total of 104 matches. It presents a unique opportunity for Saudi Arabia within its grand ‘Vision 2030‘ plan, which aims to drive economic, social, cultural, and infrastructure development, positioning the country as an increasingly central geopolitical player in the region and beyond.

More than $20 billion has been earmarked solely for the construction of 15 spectacular stadiums, which will be distributed across five designated cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Abha, and the new urban hub of Neom.

Four existing soccer stadiums will undergo extensive renovations, three are already under construction, and eight new ones have been planned. Additionally, there will be 132 training facilities and 73 accommodation centers for the delegations arriving from around the world.

In the capital, Riyadh, eight stadiums will be available for Saudi 2034, including the King Salman International Stadium, dedicated to King Salman of Saudi Arabia, which will host both the opening and closing ceremonies of the World Cup.

Designed by the international architecture firm Populous, the stadium is set to be inaugurated in 2029 in Widdiya City, a new district entirely dedicated to sports. With a seating capacity of 92,000, it will be among the biggest stadiums in the world and the largest in Saudi Arabia.

Its architectural features have been designed to adapt to the local climate, ensuring shaded areas inside and natural ventilation for spectators. The stadium and its surrounding areas will include additional sports fields, multi-purpose arenas, an athletics stadium, an aquatic center, and commercial spaces.

The construction of Riyadh’s new soccer stadiums is part of a broader infrastructure development plan for the capital, which is also preparing to host the AFC Asian Cup in 2027—alongside Jeddah and Al Khobar—as well as World Expo 2030 and the 2034 Asian Games.

To understand the scale of Riyadh’s infrastructure construction, one only needs to look at its new metro system, one of the largest sustainable mobility projects in the world. It includes six lines spanning 176 kilometers, featuring the Orange Line (Line 3), built by Webuild, and the recently inaugurated Qasr al Hokm downtown station, which covers 20,000 square meters and reaches a depth of 40 meters.

There is great anticipation for the NEOM Stadium, which will be built in the futuristic city-state of Neom, currently under construction. FIFA has stated that the stadium will be located “in a district dedicated to sports within the future The Line project,” also under construction. This 170-kilometer-long, 200-meter-wide city will be entirely powered by renewable energy and accessible only by electric vehicles.

“The NEOM Stadium will have a capacity of 46,010, exceeding the minimum requirement of 40,000 seats for a quarter-final venue.”

Construction is set to begin in 2027 and will be completed by 2032. It has been described as the most unique stadium in the world, as it will be built more than 350 meters above ground and integrated into the roof of The Line. Featuring cutting-edge technology and entirely powered by renewable energy, it will be a marvel of modern engineering at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Among the grand infrastructure projects planned for Neom, the Webuild Group is playing a key role.
In Trojena—an upcoming ski destination—the group will build a system of three dams that will create a lake within the ski complex. Lastly, Webuild will construct The Bow, a futuristic architectural structure rebounding the dam shape, suspended over a valley, housing a luxury hotel.